Ibrahim Hirsi’s story is one of incredible perseverance: Upon leaving his home country of Somalia, it took him nearly fifteen years to reach the United States.

Mr. Hirsi was born in Mogadishu, the seventh of ten children. At the time of his birth, in 1986, political tensions were brewing. Four years later, Ibrahim and his family moved to Kenya in response to civil war. His family began the process of immigrating to the United States shortly thereafter, and by August of 2001 they had completed the interviews and security screenings required; everything was in order. Then came the events of September 11, 2001 – Ibrahim’s journey to the U.S. was to be delayed for another four years.

While others close to him set aside their ambitions to leave Kenya, Mr. Hirsi was not discouraged and continued preparing for a life in the United States. Incredibly, after finally reaching the U.S. in 2005 and entering high school as an 18-year-old freshman, he completed all of the credits required for graduation in just two years.

Ibrahim went on to graduate from the University of Minnesota with a journalism degree, and he is now both a communications assistant and writer at Wallin Education Partners as well as a regular contributor to the Twin Cities Daily Planet.